After the FCC began the license renewal process for ABC’s owned-and-operated stations, the network is now striking back. It shared its displeasure with the situation in a filing.
What We Know: ABC filed its required paperwork to renew its eight local TV licenses on Thursday. The filing comes after the FCC ordered ABC to begin the license renewal process in spite of the fact that the licenses weren’t up for renewal for at least two more years. As part of the filing, it said it was doing so “under protest in response to an unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional order” from the FCC.
What They Said: “The only plausible reason to issue the order is to punish the station for speech the government does not like.” -Lawyers for ABC in an FCC filing
What Remains Unclear: What the FCC’s response will be to the strongly-worded letter. In a post on social media, Chairman Brendan Carr said “No company is above the law — not even Disney.” He also added that the FCC “has been investigating Disney for over a year now” over concerns about its DEI practices.
What It Means: The battle between Disney and the FCC has grown more contentious in recent months. While Carr has continually stated that the issue has been related to DEI practices, he has also previously questioned whether the company was operating in the public interest.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
